MUMBAI: The content pie is certainly broadbasing. Kohi Apna Sa , the only Balaji Telefilms' daily soap on Zee TV, goes off air from 15 January 2003. It is being replaced by Miit in the 9:30 pm slot.
Billed as "a contemporary love story", Miit was initially titled Agnisakshi...ek bandhan . Miit was a name that came only later. If current trends are any yardstick though, numerology may well have had a hand in the name change.
Kohi Apna Sa , which launched in October 2001, received good feedback initially but witnessed a steady decline in its TRP ratings due to its dragging storyline.
Another Balaji show which will make an exit this month is Kutumb on Sony TV.
But what could well getting to creative inspiration Ektaa Kapoor is the fact that none of its shows figure in the new programmes announced by Star as part of its new line-up.
Financial analysts in the meantime have confided to indiantelevision.com that the Balaji team has been presenting a confident demeanour despite these setbacks.
And why not? A year-end media report put out by ICICI Securities gives Balaji a buy rating because of its increased presence on Sony Entertainment, fresh programming it has on Sahara, as well as improved revenues from the southern programmes.
Kutumb may be going off air but it is being replaced by a bigger soap in Kahani Teri Meri that will give Balaji much higher realisations. Additionally there is the weekend show Kya Hadsa Kya Haqeeqat which gets it Rs 30 million a week for the the three episodes that are telecast.
As regards the impact of the rollout of conditional access system in the country, the report is extremely bullish on Balaji. The report says: "As a channel driver content house, Balaji's bargaining power would improve. leading to higher realisations. Besides serving as 'preferred property' for advertisers, Balaji's programmes would also emerge as a magnet to influence subscriber selection of pay channels in the CAS regime."